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In the early 1990s, Manafort’s lobbying firm, Black, Manafort, Stone, and Kelly, worked for the Kashmiri American Council, a group that tried to influence U.S. policy toward the disputed territory of Kashmir. Later, the group, led by Kashmiri native Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, was proven to be a front for Pakistan’s intelligence agency in Washington. The KAC hired Manafort in October 1990, just months after its founding.

Two decades later, the Department of Justice charged and convicted Fai of conspiring to secretly act as an agent of the Pakistani government in the U.S., the result of a long-running investigation. The reason: Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, had been secretly funding and directing the KAC’s work in violation of federal law since its inception.

Over the course of five years, Manafort’s lobbying firm took in $700,000 from the KAC to set up the operation. It was just a fraction of the $3.5 million Fai admitted the KAC received from the Pakistani government between 1990 and 2011, but it came at a crucial time for the organization.

The FBI launched an investigation into Fai in 2005, following years of allegations from the Indian press that the KAC, which advocated for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, was a front for the Pakistani government. The investigation started with a tip from a confidential informant that Fai and an associate in Pakistan, Zaheer Ahmad, were ISI agents, according to an FBI affidavit. In July 2011, the Justice Department charged Fai and Ahmad with conspiracy to act as agents of the Pakistani government in the U.S. without disclosing their affiliation as required by U.S. law. In December of that year, Fai pleaded guilty to conspiracy and related tax violations. (Ahmad was not arrested when the charges were brought because he was in Pakistan, where he died in October 2011.)

The investigation unveiled an elaborate scheme on the part of the Pakistani government to influence Washington policymakers while hiding behind a seemingly innocuous nonprofit organization. Under U.S. law, an organization doing the bidding of a foreign government must register as a foreign agent. But, as the KAC learned, it was possible to circumvent the rules by hiding behind donors seemingly sympathetic to the organization’s mission. The money could be used to make campaign contributions to lawmakers who, in return, would make public statements about Pakistan’s rightful claim to Kashmir. And who better to help the KAC make inroads with members of Congress than Manafort, a longtime lobbyist and darling of the Republican Party. (Rep. Dan Burton, a Republican who represented Indiana’s 5th District from 1983 to 2013, was the KAC’s chief supporter in Congress and received at least $10,000 in contributions from Fai, according to Politico.)

As KAC director, Fai submitted annual budget requests to the government of Pakistan, which partially funded Fai’s work through money delivered to Ahmad, who arranged for the funds to be delivered to Fai through a network of straw donors in the U.S., according to court documents. The KAC provided the straw donors with letters documenting that the transfers were tax deductible. At no point did Fai register his group as a foreign agent of Pakistan, as required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, nor did he disclose to the IRS that the money the KAC received from the donors actually came from Pakistani officials.

The reporting on Manafort’s work on Kashmir has focused on the identity of the client. But setting that aside and foregrounding the operation itself reveals something simpler: The use of a nonprofit to funnel foreign money into Washington.

In 1994, Manafort and his coworker, K. Riva Levinson traveled to Kashmir, arriving in India on tourist visas with no indication that they worked for the KAC. The Indian government accused them of posing as CNN journalists while gathering footage in the Himalayan region and notified CNN’s Atlanta headquarters. Manafort and Levinson denied the accusations, and a colleague said their footage was never used, according to the Associated Press. Levinson, who declined to be interviewed for this story, described Manafort as “arrogant, narcissistic, egotistical, brilliant” in her 2016 memoir, “Choosing the Hero: My Improbable Journey and the Rise of Africa’s First Woman President.”

“But it is Paul’s mercenary attitude that puts us at odds,” she wrote in her book.

Gordon D. Kromberg, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Fai’s case, told Yahoo News last year that Manafort’s knowledge, if any, of the source of Fai’s money was not part of the Justice Department’s investigation. (The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.) In December 1995, the ISI officer responsible for handling Kashmiri affairs in the mid-1990s, Javeed Aziz Khan, criticized Fai for renewing a contract with a public relations firm without prior authorization from the ISI; at Fai’s sentencing hearing, Kromberg identified the firm as “Black, Manafort, and Stone,” according to court records.

Peter Kelly, a partner at the lobbying firm, confirmed to The Intercept that Manafort brought the KAC in as a client, but he said he does not know much about Manafort’s role with the group. “Frankly I never worked with Paul on it at all,” Kelly said. “We never communicated on it. I don’t think there was anything, frankly, unique about it.” He said he was unaware of the KAC’s connection to the ISI until The Intercept brought it to his attention.

But a former KAC employee said he does not think Fai could have come up with the operation to covertly use Pakistani funds to sway U.S. foreign policy without the firm’s help. “Manafort set it up,” speculated David Wolfe, who was the KAC’s chief government relations liaison from 2005 to 2009. “He found those loopholes, because people don’t look at nonprofits.”

Wolfe joined the KAC a decade after Manafort stopped providing services to the organization. He met Manafort a few times during his work at the KAC, he said, but was not aware at the time of what exactly Manafort’s role with the group had been. But when reports emerged in 2016 that Trump’s campaign manager was linked to a group that was acting on behalf of the ISI and that Manafort had also lobbied on behalf of Saudi Arabia in the 1980s, Wolfe said he started to connect the dots. “When you start putting the two together about what was going on with the Saudis with Pakistan and Afghanistan at the time of the ’80s, and what the KAC was taken down doing … it really all started to make a lot of sense,” Wolfe told The Intercept. Fai also has ties to Saudi Arabia dating back to the 1980s, and it was the Saudis who bankrolled his emigration to and education in the U.S., according to a 2011 ProPublica report.

During his tenure at the KAC, Wolfe was suspicious of large payments the group received without doing public fundraising in the U.S., and he said he could tell the scheme had been in place for some time, likely with some outside help. “He’s not that clever, which is I think probably why he got caught,” Wolfe said of Fai. He had questions but was not concerned enough to leave his job. “An organization that had that type of money that was coming in without doing any type of proactive fundraising is also a red flag — which I personally knew was a red flag — but I was in it to try to solve the Kashmir crisis,” Wolfe said. Eventually, the FBI contacted Wolfe and asked him to spy on his boss, which he did for about two years. (Both Fai and the FBI declined to comment for this story.)

FBI Special Agent Sarah Linden, who led the investigation into Fai, wrote in her affidavit in support of his arrest that “the KAC does receive some legitimate donations,” but the majority of its funds came from a small group of individuals closely associated with Ahmad, Fai’s accused co-conspirator. Court documents show that Fai eventually admitted to receiving money in sums ranging from $4,000 to $595,193 from the ISI between 1993 and 2011 through Ahmad and a series of middlemen.

Note that in 2005 Fai comes under FBI investigation, at that time Manafort started his Ukrainian gig. Could he have been the confidential informant?And it took another 6 years for them to shut down Fai operations. And the guy who was the conduit, Zaheer Ahmed died in Pakistan in 2011.Also the KAC launch date is October 1990.

A few errors in the article. I think the Free Biscuits themselves said at the time that the investigation started in 2004, not 5. This is extremely important because the official start date was less than 3 months after a certain article appeared on the web. The killer report was not the Indian media in INDIA saying Fai was a Paki agint. The key was 2 articles, one in the Washington media run by an expat Paki who was persona non grata in Mush's Pakistan, and in the Lahore Daily Crimes. One article quoted a Paki ISI guy (retd) as saying that Fai was present at the Pak embassy in DupleeCity when BB came vijiting, and was clearly identified as an ISI agint. The Daily Crimes confirmed that the agenda and the list of invitees for KAC events were printed in ISI HQ, in Pindi or I'bad and sent direct.

Fai's mistake was that he joined forces with the einsteins of the former FOIL, such as Angana C and Akhila Ra(h)-Man for this Kashmir Conferences caper. (that is what caught the eye of evil types such as those on PeeAref). Once the Free Biscuits knew that others had put 2 and 2 together and arrived at 22, they moved and opened the investigation. In 2011 they had the whole gang nailed including the entity "Mary" who gave presentations before the UN. Coincidentally, Dr. Angana Chatterji of CIIS also gave presentations before the UN at the same conference with the same presentation title (of course far be it from me to imply that "Mary"== "Angana".) Chatterji and her former-advisor/ hootchie-kootchie partner/ husband/ dept. Chair were both fired by CIIS the day before the indictment was read out in court. Coincidence, of course. CIIS denied all connections.

So, nailing Fai (more precisely, triggering the nailing of Fai) is an achievement that can be traced directly to certain phorums that shall remain nameless.

Why was Manafort not nailed at the time? My take is that there was too little money involved. The Ukraine caper involves some 18 to 25 million $$, now that's serious change. $595K which is what Fai got, is not enough to generate one indictment against ppl like Manafort.

Now as for Manafort, sure, a Frogistan-descended(?) mercenary. His attorney came out swinging, some chutzpah, calling the charges nonsense. But I think he has a bit of a problem in that he kind-of forgot to mention phoren $$ coming to him, in his tax forms. Russia connection etc, they are just fishing and stretching.

Reading the Manafort article above, I have to hand it to the Khans - they have raised corruption to an artform. Only they call them registered lobbyists, super PACs, Congressional elections every two years (so they need more money all the time). *slow clap*

New Yoik terror truck-driver identified as "Saipov" Isn't this redundant? Aren't Russians "Saip" already hain? This sounds like one of those Abdul al Hind names assumed by Pakis upon "anointment" by Abdul Gubouddin Bag-daddy. Uzbekistan-born, emigrated to Florida, drove for Uber, rented a truck from Home Depot. Imagine if u r a Home Depot truck rental person and a nice ISIS-bearded gent comes up to rent a truck for 3 hours.

AoA! How y'all doin today? I need to haul these 50 bags of Amminium Nitrate to Manhattan!

Get fired for causing a discrimination lawsuit, or for renting a truck to a terrist?

UlanBatori wrote:New Yoik terror truck-driver identified as "Saipov" Isn't this redundant? Aren't Russians "Saip" already hain? This sounds like one of those Abdul al Hind names assumed by Pakis upon "anointment" by Abdul Gubouddin Bag-daddy. Uzbekistan-born, emigrated to Florida, drove for Uber, rented a truck from Home Depot. Imagine if u r a Home Depot truck rental person and a nice ISIS-bearded gent comes up to rent a truck for 3 hours.

AoA! How y'all doin today? I need to haul these 50 bags of Amminium Nitrate to Manhattan!

Get fired for causing a discrimination lawsuit, or for renting a truck to a terrist?

Saifulla Saif in Indian Muslim terminology. Saif is sword of Islam.His name itself says he is jihadi.

The radio was saying that the police forces have given instructions on what type of folks can get to rent at rental car agencies.

however this guy rented from Home Depot just one hour before the attack.Also I think the antifa needs to tone down the rhetoric.

Something triggered this guy to do his attack.

The only macro thing on Monday was the Mueller and his indictments and the news media in org*am of anticipation of political chaos in Washington.

There is no lone wolf business.

Its a dog whistle that these hyenas hear and stage attacks.

In a neighborhood a dog barks.Then in sympathy other dogs bark one after the other.Its not a wolf.

Also recall we discussed stochastic process of terrorist attacks.The probability of a jihadi inspired terror attack is 1.0.

i once saw a gopro video of a band of a chechen jihadis infiltrating a syrian army camp. after some gunfire, a well aimed mortar round takes out the boss saifulla with the others wailing and putting him in a suv.

I think it was a lone-wolf attack on occasion of Halloween. Remember, primary motive of these guys is to change the way of normal life in any civilized stated. 9/11 date was itself mainly chosen as it is the emergency number of police/fire/medical in US.

On a side note I always cringe reading about 26/11 in India. Never understand this absurdity of copying anything western.

Tragic .These auto attacks worldwide are becoming so common and v.v.difficult to prevent becos of the brainwashing on social media by Islamic extremists like ISIS.The cyberspace ability to penetrate into minds anywhere on the globe,turning ordinary people into suicidal terrorists makes a mockery of physical boundaries.I'm not overtly familiar with methods of blocking such sites and penalizing servers that support extremist sites,but they're far worse than a platform subservise speech by a politico because it remains for a long time online.

Therefore the need for more cyber-police will skyrocket in the future as greater crime usage of cyberspace will require greater monitoring be computer experts. Like the NSA in the US ,GCHQ in the UK,our equiv. of the same will be hard pressed to deal with such Islamic terror .

srin wrote:Reading the Manafort article above, I have to hand it to the Khans - they have raised corruption to an artform. Only they call them registered lobbyists, super PACs, Congressional elections every two years (so they need more money all the time). *slow clap*

Yes, the genius of the UK-USA system is that they legalize what most thinkers on ethics would consider to be corruption. The advantage that this provides is that the system is not constantly struggling against human nature.

Creating the United States in 1776 was the best startup idea ever. America, now a 241-year old enterprise is a shining example to the world.What makes America great is being different. And being different is cool, right? Immigrants prove that everyday in bringing their values, discipline, drive, and culture from where ever they come from. I’m proud of immigrants and I hope you are too.

srin wrote:Reading the Manafort article above, I have to hand it to the Khans - they have raised corruption to an artform. Only they call them registered lobbyists, super PACs, Congressional elections every two years (so they need more money all the time). *slow clap*

Yes, the genius of the UK-USA system is that they legalize what most thinkers on ethics would consider to be corruption. The advantage that this provides is that the system is not constantly struggling against human nature.

Beautifully articulated, I have the same thought but struggled to articulate it as succinctly as you did. (see, I praise you when its due ). BTW, one can extend this in personal realm too. Things that would be sacrilegious (and sometime with good reason) in Indian culture is par for course, so no personal guilt or inner turmoil.

I think the Saifulla got so frustrated with the traffic in Manhattan (he was in a rented truck, so time was money) that he decided to drive down the sidewalk. The AoA may have been second nature. May not have had any other intent, he then staggered out apparently (injured in the crash?) before he was shot in the stomach.

Yes the US of A has beautifully instituted corruption called "lobbying", and sh*tworms like "Man-a-fart" slime their way into the corridors of power and like good parasites,leech onto their powerful patrons.

arun wrote:So much for the visit of US secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to India. US speaks with perfidious forked tongue on Mohammadden Terrorism being a global problem and winks and nods at the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s support of Pakistan based Mohammadden Terror outfits that target India.

Foreign Minister of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Khawaja Asif, says that UN designated Mohammadden Terrorism outfit Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed’s name was not on the list of 75 militants the US had handed over to the Islamic Republic.

It will be interesting to know if other Pakistan based Mohammadden Terrorists that are focussed on targeting India such as Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and its boss Syed Salahuddin alias Mohammad Yusuf Shah are on the US list:

At Press Availability of US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson at Geneva on October 26, 2017 a direct question by a journalist on the claim of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan that UN Designated Mohammadden Terrorist Hafiz Sayed is not on the list of terrorists handed over by the US and against whom the US expects the Islamic Republic to take action, is evaded by US secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Also evaded is the question of the Pakistan claim that no citizens of the Islamic Republic was on the US list of Mohammadden Terrorists.

Strong grounds now to conclude that the US is perfidiously walking back on the claim that it is against all Mohammadden Terrorism, especially that which emanates from the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan and targets India.

QUESTION: Sir, talk about your meeting with the Pakistanis. Their official news agency has talked about how the United States has presented them with a list of 75 terrorists that the Pakistanis claim they’re – that none of them are Pakistanis, that the head of Lashkar-e Tayyiba is not on that list, and that they provided you with a list of 100 terrorists that they would like the United States to go after. Could you talk about what you specifically laid out for them when you talked to them the other day?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, I think what you just described is a very healthy exchange of information on terrorists, which is what we really hope to achieve with Pakistan. We have provided them specific asks, beyond just names of individuals. We’ve provided them specific asks. But we’ve also invited greater sharing from them as well. So we expect to receive information from them that will be useful.

And the specific location on any given day of where certain individuals or certain cells may be located – they do move around. As you know, the Pakistan-Afghan border is quite porous; in fact, it’s ill-defined. And so we’re less concerned about are they in Pakistani territory, in Afghanistan territory, or – as we are obtaining information so that we can eliminate them.

More fodder for the case that. despite being declared as “Major Defence Partner” by the US, the US has kept secret from India the list of Terrorists it has demanded from the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan so as to hide the fact that Mohammadden Terrorists targeting India have been deliberately left off the list so as to humour the US’s Major Non NATO Ally, the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan:

Question: The Pakistani Foreign Minister when Tillerson was in New Delhi spoke about, in their parliament, how US has shared a list of 75 militants with the Pakistani government which does not includes Hafiz Saeed and others who are wanted here in India. How do you look at that statement? You think they are giving it a deliberate spin or how would you read those remarks of the minister there?

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar: Thank you very much for the question. Unfortunately the list which was shared by the US to Pakistan, we never received a copy of that and we are unable to comment on exactly who are included and who are excluded. That is the reason why I am not in a position to respond to your question.

Question: ………………….. on the issue of terrorism. We expect that US should have shared the list that they have given to Pakistan for our own confidence.

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar: See, we have to understand and unless and until we get to know under what situation or circumstances the details of the names were shared, it will be difficult for us to find out why x, y or z was not included. Coming back to your question about the stand on terrorism, I think that is very very clear. If you have been following their statement which was announced first during their India policy in Washington followed by their statement at the Bagram airbase and what he replied to a query on Pakistan. I think it demonstrates a growing convergence on such topics between India and the US.

Question Contd.: ……….. Inaudible ……..

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar: As I said if things are available to us then we will come out with some response but it is important to understand under what circumstances and what kind of names have been shared, we are not privy to that information.

Question: Can you confirm or deny if India specific terrorists like Hafiz Saeed or Lakhavi, did these names emerge in Mr. Tillerson’s meeting with Mr. Ajit Doval or EAM because we are given to understand that specific names did not figure.

Official Spokesperson, Shri Raveesh Kumar: We have shared, in fact EAM’s press statement was very detailed. There were a couple of very strong paragraphs on the discussion between EAM and Secretary Tillerson on terrorism and beyond that there is nothing further which I can add at this stage.

LANGLEY, VA – The CIA today released to the public nearly 470,000 additional files recovered in the May 2011 raid on Usama Bin Ladin’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. CIA Director Mike Pompeo authorized the release in the interest of transparency and to enhance public understanding of al-Qa‘ida and its former leader. The files released today are available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/abbottabad-compound/

..............

With today’s release, the information remaining in the Abbottabad collection that has not been released publicly includes materials that are sensitive such that their release would directly damage efforts to keep the nation secure; materials protected by copyright; *****; malware; and blank, corrupted and duplicate files. For example, some of the material being withheld from public release are the following copyrighted videos:

UlanBatori wrote:I think the Saifulla got so frustrated with the traffic in Manhattan (he was in a rented truck, so time was money) that he decided to drive down the sidewalk. The AoA may have been second nature. May not have had any other intent, he then staggered out apparently (injured in the crash?) before he was shot in the stomach.

UB, Saipov is the first ISIS killer captured alive thanks to the NYPD officer who shot him in the leg. BTW he fired 9 rounds at him and one hit him in the thigh. Wonder what happened there?

Despite police having alerted car rental agencies to be aware of potential terrorists who could rent, this guy got his truck. And had no live firearms.

This guy is archetype ISIS self radicalized terrorist who followed the manual exactly. So it shows that their remote self training videos work.I think GOTUS needs to crack down on Online services to filter and block these self training videos.These services cant claim freedom of speech to carry such materials.Should treat them on par with proscribed materials.

UlanBatori wrote:I think the Saifulla got so frustrated with the traffic in Manhattan (he was in a rented truck, so time was money) that he decided to drive down the sidewalk. The AoA may have been second nature. May not have had any other intent, he then staggered out apparently (injured in the crash?) before he was shot in the stomach.

UB, Saipov is the first ISIS killer captured alive thanks to the NYPD officer who shot him in the leg. BTW he fired 9 rounds at him and one hit him in the thigh. Wonder what happened there?

.

Trust Ramana garu to put his finger on exactly what's wrong with the picture!

NYPD (or any American PD) takes no chances with firearms-wielding suspects. They shoot profusely, and shoot to kill. "Suicide by cop" is a virtually certain way for anyone who wants to get himself killed... charge at American cops with a gun, even a fake gun, in hand.

Black Lives Matter is a whole movement founded around the propensity of American police to use deadly force in even highly questionable circumstances, such as when suspects at traffic stops are reaching in their pockets or glove compartments to produce documents. Also, when cops pull their Glocks out, it's very common for the perp or suspect to wind up with 35-40 rounds in him!

So why did Saifullah Saipov get a mere 9 rounds fired at him and only one hit to the LEG?

Is there a directive that Islamic Terror suspects are to be taken alive even if that means cops taking extra care to stay away from normal procedures, even at risk of their own lives? Perhaps something that the Amrikis learned the value of, from the supreme sacrifice of Shri Tukaram Ombale?

If true, does that mean that the people controlling the NYPD response knew that Saifullah was an Islamic Terrorist even before the attack had come to a conclusion?

Also had the same thought as articulated by ramana and Rdev. normally khan cops shoot first then ask questions to the attackers family friends etc etc.But surprise here that the attacker was caught alive.

Another question is - did isis officially claim that the attacker got inspiration for them.(did not get any claims about it when searched so far, unless I missed it)Usually isis claims it only when the attacker is dead.

Cop was running while shooting, trying to stop terrorist from getting on school bus; terrorist was running and weaving. Not easy to hit: watch western movies to understand, not 2 mention SRK or Rajnikanth. So I'd say it was just luck. I don't see how NYPD can ask rental ppl to refuse to rent to someone with a valid DL: that would be automatic lawsuit, hain? Despite the Bag-daddy beard and all. Then again, he rented from Home Depot, not from a rental car agency. Maybe ISIS is getting smarter.

I think GOTUS needs to crack down on Online services to filter and block these self training videos.These services cant claim freedom of speech to carry such materials.Should treat them on par with proscribed materials.

Ah! How tough would be to grab the videos and alter the speech/text and post the altered videos I wonder... Induce mass suicides that don't harm anyone else, a la Pied Piper of Hamelin. Like in TELEFON

ramana wrote: UB, Saipov is the first ISIS killer captured alive thanks to the NYPD officer who shot him in the leg. BTW he fired 9 rounds at him and one hit him in the thigh. Wonder what happened there?

What is all this new found love for the anti-India scumbags at the Brookings Institution? Why are the mofos from the Brookings Institution allowed anywhere near govt. agencies like NITI Aayog? What next, an advisor to the MEA?

^^^ Not surprising at all, I was expecting this given jaishankar's son was given post at Bookings. This is tried tested method by massa, we exposed mennon a lot for being massa p@@p,so no change with jaishankar being at helm. I wish we could change this.

It is likely that the same cretins in New Delhi babucracy that used to p!mp up Stephen Cohen when the oiseaule pretended to be some sort of "sooth asia" expert at Brookings, are the ones now trying to push Brookings into Indian policy making. These babu scumbags need to be taken out and shot for this kind of treachery. W%^@WEs

I have been noting a slow and steady increase in positive articles from DC based writers (ignoring NYT of course). Here are my quick thoughts on thisNarrative on India in western circles during cold war era WAS mostly negative because of India's Soviet leanings. Despite of all the talks of a free press and independent thinking in US, DC based think tanks remain a closed circle where access, grants and scholarships are 'blessed' based on the alignment with the views of powers of the day. Most of the views about other countries are propounded through their talks with the people in that country or affiliate journalists with similar or even worse amplified leanings (to please/appease their employers). This further amplifies the the American world view which quite often is different from what the ground reality is. Last 20 years saw a slow and steady transition in Indian viewpoint at least in US media (UK with the 'special relationship' with US will follow too), on the backdrop of the rise of Indian economy, readjustment in Indian foreign policy along with changes in global world order. My sense is that while there would be changes in visa regimes, but the approach and subsequently the viewpoint towards India would change positively and we would see a transition from less of 'XX million without power or toliets', 'why a space and nuclear program', 'our aid money to Nuclear bomb/rocket launch/missiles' to the positives of India, viz., a large and diverse country and a democratic and united country, where minorities have thrived. These are the credentials which few countries can actually boast of.

periaswamy wrote:So there are no Indians who know game theory and micro economics that this american scumbag from brookings has to be enlisted to assist the PMO? seriously?

er...AFAIK she is a desi, working in desh, hain? Like working for Lufthansa in Chennai doesn't make anyone a Bavarian? Brookings must be hiring desis in order to compensate for the clumsiness of the Uneven Cohen types. I mean, a consistent record like Uneven's of ALWAYS giving biss-poor advice, cannot go unremarked, hain?

periaswamy wrote:So there are no Indians who know game theory and micro economics that this american scumbag from brookings has to be enlisted to assist the PMO? seriously?

er...AFAIK she is a desi, working in desh, hain? Like working for Lufthansa in Chennai doesn't make anyone a Bavarian? Brookings must be hiring desis in order to compensate for the clumsiness of the Uneven Cohen types. I mean, a consistent record like Uneven's of ALWAYS giving biss-poor advice, cannot go unremarked, hain?

Oh Great yak herder, see my comments above. Its not about one or two desis , its about systematic addition to increase overt (read legitimate) influence as part of policy making (also there is no derth of gungadins to wash lord's dirty laundry) :

krishna_krishna wrote:^^^ Not surprising at all, I was expecting this given jaishankar's son was given post at Bookings. This is tried tested method by massa, we exposed mennon a lot for being massa p@@p,so no change with jaishankar being at helm. I wish we could change this.

It's the other way round. The Atlantic Council of the United States (Beltway Bandit .org) for instance, used to have serving Colonels of the PLA on their roster of Senior Fellows. Desh is hopefully putting ppl into the system and giving them grand credentials so that they can be Senior Fellows in Beltway Bandit Institute.org

In recent years Brookings has faded from public scene, I rarely hear of them. Maybe their sponsors in SDOTUS and COTUS have been culled.

Consider that there are Retd Air Vice Marshals of EyeAyEph wandering around as mendicants giving sermons in massastan madarssas. Formerly they had to join Other Side like Rom-doss or Nad-Carney.

For that matter, Evil 6th Coujin knows a Colonel (maybe higher now) in the GontaPen who spent a whole year-plus as a Phellow in some high organization (Observer Foundation? Instt. phor Defenj Analyjej?) then returned to a nice private office on the 6th floor of 5-side Palace. Had a dartboard on the wall with Beijing in the center, and no visible sign of any particular Mission/Task Fauj etc . He was on first-name basis with APJAK and all Taap Beebals in Dilli.

UB: er...AFAIK she is a desi, working in desh, hain? Like working for Lufthansa in Chennai doesn't make anyone a Bavarian? Brookings must be hiring desis in order to compensate for the clumsiness of the Uneven Cohen types. I mean, a consistent record like Uneven's of ALWAYS giving biss-poor advice, cannot go unremarked, hain?

Brookings India chapter was started a couple of years ago, and there is no restriction on non-Indians being part of that gang of scumbags. You are correct that my views are jaundiced by that fact that they pushed Stephen Cohen on India with the willing collusion of these same loser babus in New Delhi, not to mention the previous NSA jumping ship from being NSA to joining Brookings, and the current MEA head's son drafted in, so colour me skeptical about that entire organization and the people in it and their historical connections to lutyens babucracy.